Lalitagiri

          Lalitagiri, otherwise mentioned as Naltigiri (Lat. 200 35’ N; Long 860 15’ E) in the Mahanga police station of Cuttack district is situated in Birupa-Chitrotpala valley and one of the four major excavated Buddhist establishments in north-eastern coastal Orissa. It is approximately 90 kms to the north-east of Bhubaneswar (NH-5) via- Chandikhole and is 14km away from Ratnagiri.
          The Utkal University initiated a small scale excavation at Lalitagiri hillock in 1977. But major excavations at hillock by Bhubaneswar Circle of ASI revealed the existence of a severely damaged stupa (approximate 36 meter in Circumference) yielded three relic caskets made of khondalite stone, in the shape of a votive stupa. Definitely, the discovery of this relic casket adds a new chapter to the history of Buddhism in Orissa.
           Further excavation between1987 to 1991 has also brought to light an apsidal chaityagriha and four monasteries in close proximity to each other. One of the monasteries at Lalitagiri unearthed a terracotta monastic sealing which gives the reading “Sri Chandraditya Vihara Samagra Arya Bhiksu Sangha”.
          Besides, terracotta objects, stamped and inscribed potteries, sculptures of Buddha, Bodhisattvas and Buddhist divinities, copper coins, silver objects, iron objects, seals and sealings, terracotta plaques and many others were unearthed and datable between 2nd century BC to 13th century AD.